National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
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Technical Information Specialist
August 30, 2016
Congressional Research Service
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R44191
National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Introduction
This fact sheet is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to National Hispanic
Heritage Month, which is observed from September 15 to October 15. It contains links to census
and demographic information, a CRS report, sample speeches and remarks from the
Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations. It also contains links to additional web
resources and selected educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations.
History
National Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President
Lyndon Johnson, and it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day
period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17,
1988.
Legislation
P.L. 90-498. Authorized and requested the President to proclaim annually the week including
September 15 and 16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week (82 Stat. 848; September 17, 1968).
P.L. 100-402. Amended P.L. 90-498 to provide for the designation of National Hispanic Heritage
Month (102 Stat. 1012; August 17, 1988).
P.L. 105-225 §126. Requested that the President issue a yearly proclamation designating
September 15 through October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month (112 Stat. 1259; August
12, 1998).
CRS Report
This report provides a demographic profile of current Members of Congress, including the
number of Hispanic and Latino Members, by gender and party:
CRS Report R43869, Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile, by (name redacted)
Sample Speeches and Recognitions
Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of
Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The
following are some recent examples of such statements.
Hispanic Heritage Month 2016, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (July 1, 2016)
Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Ruben Gallego (October 20, 2015)
Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Tony Cardenas (October 20, 2015)
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Martha McSally (October 9, 2015)
Observing Hispanic Heritage Month, Senator Dean Heller (October 8, 2015)
Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Loretta Sanchez (October 6, 2015)
Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Cresent Hardy (September 25, 2015)
Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, Senator Robert Menendez
(September 17, 2015)
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
Celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month and the Contributions of the Latino Community,
Representative Charles B. Rangel (September 17, 2015)
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, Representative Peter J. Visclosky (September 16, 2015)
Hispanic Heritage Month, Senator Harry Reid (September 15, 2015)
Presidential Proclamations
One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call
attention to certain issues or events. Some recent proclamations commemorating Hispanic
Heritage Month from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:
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Barack Obama (2009-2015)
George W. Bush (2001-2008)
Bill Clinton (1993-2000)
George H.W. Bush (1989 only)
Ronald Reagan (1981 only)
Jimmy Carter (1977 only)
Gerald Ford (1974 only)
Statistics
Many federal agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) maintain statistics on
Hispanics. The following are examples that may be useful.
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, Hispanic Heritage Month 2016. Quick statistics on
population, states and counties, businesses, families and children, language, income, poverty,
health insurance, education, jobs, voting, and national service.
Pew Research Center, Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 1980-2014. These
interactive statistical profiles of the Latino population in the 50 states and the District of
Columbia are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2010 and 2014
American Community Survey (ACS) and the 1980-2000 decennial censuses.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health of Hispanic or Latino Population.
Information and statistics on health issues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
National Center for Health Statistics.
Web Resources
Several government resources provide information on the history and culture of Hispanic
Heritage Month. Some of these include the following:
National Hispanic Heritage Month. This project provides information, images, collections, and
audio and video on topics such as Spanish missions, Hispanic American veterans, history, art, and
teaching Hispanic heritage. This is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress, National
Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery
of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Library of Congress, Hispanic Reading Room. The Hispanic Reading Room serves as the primary
access point for research relating to parts of the world encompassing the geographical areas of the
Caribbean, Latin America, and Iberia; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples
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National Hispanic Heritage Month: Fact Sheet
throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including Latinos in the
United States and people of Portuguese or Spanish heritage in Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
U.S. House of Representatives, Hispanic Americans in Congress. From the Office of the
Historian and the Clerk of the House’s Office of Art and Archives, this website, based on the
book Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1822–2012, contains profiles of former and current
Hispanic Members of Congress, essays, and images, including rare photos.
Educational, Cultural, and Advocacy Organizations
Many other resources provide information on the history and culture of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Smithsonian Latino Center. Exhibitions, research, collections, and educational programs
promoting Latino heritage and culture in the United States.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). An advocacy group that “advances the
economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of
Hispanic Americans through community-based programs.”
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR). National Hispanic civil rights and advocacy
organization. NCLR provides a Latino perspective in seven key areas: assets and investments,
civil rights and criminal justice, education, employment and economic status, health,
immigration, voting, and youth.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Internships, fellowships, scholarships, and
educational publications and resources.
Author Contact Information
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Technical Information Specialist
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